directions

Step 1

Make your pizza dough in advance or use a tube of refrigerated dough (enough to make one 12-inch regular crusts).

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 425°. Place two pizza stones or baking sheets in the oven.

Step 3

Remove stems from spinach and roughly chop, then set aside. Drain artichokes and chop into small pieces.

Step 4

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for one minute, stirring constantly so it does not burn. Toss in chopped spinach and cook for 3 minutes until it wilts. Stir in artichoke hearts, yogurt and 1/4 cup of Swiss cheese. Once the cheese is melted, season with salt and pepper then remove from heat.

Step 5

Spread the pizza dough into a rectangle about 1/4' thick on a piece of parchment paper coated with non-stick cooking spray and lightly sprinkled with corn meal. Spoon the spinach & artichoke mixture down the center of the rectangle, leaving 1/3 of dough on each side for braiding. Top mixture with the remaining 3/4 cup of Swiss cheese.

Step 6

Cut the edges of the braid into equal strips, about 1' wide. Fold the top edge of the crust over the filling, then start folding the sides of the crust in forming a braid effect. Push down the end of each strip to seal, then fold over the next strip of crust. Once you have braided your crust almost all the way down, fold the bottom edge of the crust up over the filling and seal with the last two edges.

Step 7

Sprinkle the top of the braid with grated parmesan cheese, basil and Garlic Gold nuggets.

Step 8

Carefully remove hot pizza stones or baking sheets from the oven. Using the edge of the parchment paper, slide the braids onto the hot stone/sheet and return to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top of the crust is golden brown. Allow to set for 5 minutes before cutting into strips to serve.